Knights Templar – Latin Rule

Knights Templar and the Latin Rule – 8 Strange Rules the Templar Knights had to Obey?

The Knights Templar were founded by Bernard de Clairvaux and Hugues de Payens in 1119 as a Catholic Military Order deigned to protect Christian pilgrims on their travels throughout the Holy Lands

They were not initially classed as an official organization, but that came later in the year 1139 when they were granted official status by the Roman Catholic Church in the form of a Papal Bull an official declaration by the Pope of the time.

Bernard de Clairvaux and founder Hugues de Payens were keen to establish as set of rules for the organization they had created and this became know as the ‘Latin Rule’.

What was the Latin Rule?

The Latin Rule was quite simply a set of rules or code of conduct to how Templar knights should conduct themselves in every aspect of their lives – it initially had 72 rules but this was expanded to several hundred as time progressed.

Some of the more unusual rules were:

Templar Knights were forbidden to have physical contact with their own families.

Knights had to eat in total silence for every meal.

Templars could only eat meat 3 times a week.

Templars were forbidden from having physical contact with women.

Knights of the order could never surrender unless the Flag of the Templars had fallen.

Knights could not leave the battlefield until all Flags had fallen.

They had to wear the white mantle at all times even when eating.

Templar could not drink or eat at anytime if not wearing their distinctive white mantles.

The Templars were a very committed and disciplined bunch and following these rules should have been fairly easy for them given that they were so committed to the cause, and that they considered it an honor to die in battle!

Did you know?

A strange Templar custom but not a rigid rule had it that Templar Knights should grow a long bushy beard!